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Updated almost 8 years ago on . Most recent reply
California real estate forms and transaction help
Hi. I'm in California and am considering brokering my own deal for either a sfh or a multi-unit house hack that I plan to live in. I live in a relatively high cost area in southern California and prices quite high so I am trying to make a little in commissions to help with the affordability here.
I've had a brokers license for quite some time now but have never used it and frankly do not have a lot of transactional experience. With that being said, is there a good resource where I can get all of the necessary documents (preferably e-document) for a purchase? I tried doing a quick search on BP but failed to find anything. I know CAR has some forms you can purchase for non-CAR members but was wondering if there are any other good alternatives.
*Additionally, is it legal/possible to structure a deal with seller/seller agent to discount the agreed upon price in exchange for the seller NOT paying me commission?
For example, if we agree on a purchase price of $1M and a commission of 2.5% for buyer agent (me), could I:
1) Reduce purchase price from $1M to ~ $975,000 (less difference from making seller agent whole)
2) Agree to make seller agent whole (receive $25k gross commission)
I know this is penny pinching but I'd prefer this over a standard deal so that I could lower my property tax rate and also not incur income tax on the commission.
I feel that this wouldn't work as I would most likely have receive some amount of income for my services. If this is the case, what is the bare minimum?
Appreciate any feedback, thanks!
Most Popular Reply

Hi Joe, All the contracts I use on a day-to-day basis are AIR/AIR CRE contract forms. They are widely used throughout the commercial world, and also have product type specific contracts. You purchase tokens and each set of contracts is worth a certain amount of tokens. Not sure how it works if you are not a member though. If you google AIR CRE I am sure their website has more information.
I have structured a deal in the past where my brokerage team put 2/3 of our commission back into the deal. You notify the escrow officer that you will be crediting a portion of your commission back to the buyer. I like to keep things simple, but how you structure your deal is completely up to you.
Hope this helps.